Ty Luko one shots
by aura-seer1234
Summary: a series of one shots done for Ty Luko week on tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

**Ty Luko Week- Confession**

_Years had passed since the hundred year war had ended and challenges had come and gone as well. Zuko had changed and so had Ty lee but the essence of who they were had remained unchanged. Ty lee could see it in him, that regal golden glow. His aura had always been so muddy and red but never so much so that she couldn't see it. Ty lee had never believed in anyone so much. She thought she believed in Azula but as the years went by she began to realize that what she really felt was fear. Zuko had always been there to stick up for people, he even stuck up for Ty lee when no one else would. _

_Ty lee was nothing more than a beautiful nobody, she knew this as well as everyone else . Zuko knew too and although he made it clear that he knew, he rarely rubbed it in her face the way others would. The other noble men and ladies found great fun in mocking her. They would tell stories about exploits that never happened, have pictures made in her likeness and tarnish her reputation. This had never stopped the Fire lord from speaking to her on occasion and as the years rolled by he never really bought into the fun all the others were having at her expense. Ty lee let out a shaky sigh as she glanced at him from across the table, there he was, calmly sipping his tea and enjoying her company despite the rumours that would inevitably follow. _

_She was bad for him, especially since he was due to be married in three days. It made her stomach clench and her heart ache in disgust at herself because she didn't even have the decency to avoid him. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She liked to imagine that he would be angered at the idea of dismissing her. She liked to think that…_

_but she knew it wasn't true, in fact she doubted he would really care. She doubted anyone would really care if she wasn't around. She had thought that she was Azula's favourite person but that was another lie she had told herself. For a time she thought she might have been Mai's favourite person but she knew that wasn't the case either. Mai's favourite person was Zuko and Zuko's favourite person was Mai. even a fool like Ty lee could see that. _

_She put down her own cup of tea and stared at the wall just behind Zuko, her regular smile on her lips. "So you two are getting married at last," she said unable to completely replicate enthusiasm. She sighed dreamily hoping to sell it, "You two are really great for each other…"_

_Zuko stopped mid sip and placed his cup back on the table in front of him. "yeah," he said, his eyes fixed on the table, "that's what everyone always tells me."_

_"I bet your mom is really proud," she said, hoping to cheer him up._

_He shrugged, "I guess so," he said with a far away look, "she is who I was expected to marry anyway."_

_A lump was forming in Ty lee's throat and she just couldn't take it anymore. Everything he did gave her emotions that she just couldn't have so she got up and smoothed out her tunic. Zuko looked up at her in surprise and watched her as she walked to the door way. "I wish you two the best prince Zuko," she said with as smile stubborn on her face, refusing to look at him as her tears fell._

_"Don't you mean fire lord Zuko?" he asked expectantly._

_Her breath was beginning to shake uncontrollably but as usual she was able to smile her way through it. still not turning to face him, "You'll always be prince Zuko to me…" and then she left. She wouldn't make him uncomfortable with her stupid feelings, for they were stupid feelings for a stupid girl. Her prince deserved more than a stupid girl…. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Ty Luko week- "I know you"**

_When ever anyone had uttered those three words he would recoil in disgust. How dare they, how dare they go and make such vast assumptions. No one knew him, no one ever got close, not Mai, not Azula not even his uncle. They all understood him to a degree but no one really knew who he was…except her. The first time she said it she said it without conviction, the way one might say the sky is blue. It made him angry. Angry because it was her who said it and angry because he didn't get to experience it._

_He didn't know her but he wanted to because he knew she understood what he hated most of all about his life. He hated the expectations, he hated being driven away from his home, having to always distinguish himself. He hated the rumours and the talk and yet he never walked away from it. Whether it was because he had the strength not to give in or lacked the courage to reject his life and comfort zone he didn't know. _

_Neither did she and that pretty much summed up their understanding. He wanted to know, he wanted to understand how she could react to things so differently, he wanted to find out where that warmth and that untamed sense of freedom came from within her. He wanted to probe and explore until he had her all figured out, her insecurities, her struggles, the things that made her cry and scream. He wanted to know everything…._


	3. Chapter 3

**Ty Luko week- Nostalgia**

_Zuko's mind often wandered back to the times of his childhood. For most people these times were simple and happy, a far cry from their current lives. This wasn't the case for Zuko though, his childhood was filled with fear, uncertainty and constant anxiety. These things came with the territory of his position yet he couldn't help but begrudge them. Zuko was powerless to stand against the unfairness of his world and yet there had always been that one thing that he might have done and to this day he regrets not having done it._

_He was six hen he met Ty lee for the first time, she was sitting in the grass of his family court yard smiling to herself. It was an honest smile, which was something that Zuko had seen from very few people even at his age. He walked up to her very quietly and sat next to her, "hello?" he said awkwardly._

_The girl stated and opened her eyes and grinned at him with her sunny face, "hello!" she said, "you have a pretty aura, my name's Ty lee!" _

_Zuko wasn't sure what do do at that point, he wasn't sure how to hold a conversation with a person like that. He changed the subject, "I'm Zuko," he said, "why are you here?"_

_Ty lee smiled, "Azula chose me to be her very best friend," she said, going back to her closed eyed grinning, "She chose me out of everyone can you believe it!" _

_Zuko's heart sunk, he wondered if the girl really knew what life had in store for her now. He wondered if she knew how tormented she would be from then on by his sister. She could have simply avoided his sister at school but…she must have been really desperate. He wondered what could make anyone so desperate for a friend, maybe she was just stupid._

_It occurred to Zuko that maybe he could save her. Maybe he could just tell her what would happen and then they could be friends instead. He almost told her everything but he stopped himself before he could. If he did that, it would make his sister angry, so because he feared her he kept his mouth shut._

_Zuko regretted what happened, what he didn't do and what could have been. He often found himself wondering what might have been if he chose to save her. What would they be to each other? Maybe if they were friends he could have given her a reason not to run away to the circus. Maybe she would have joined him on his quest to capture the avatar, he always thought she would like that, sailing the seas. _

_He also wondered if maybe he would have married her instead, he thought he would have liked that and hoped she would have liked that too._


	4. Chapter 4

**Ty luko week- Wanderlust **

_College had been both a welcome change and a curse to Zuko. On one hand it got him away from his cruel father and twisted family but on the other hand…he just couldn't shake the feeling that his experience living out of the house was more of a banishment. Ozai had never much cared for Zuko, he thought he was weak for being born with a deformity. What kind of father thought that about his son? The same sort of father who would twist and dement his youngest child into believing as he believed. _

_Zuko was glad to be away, he enjoyed living quietly with his uncle above his little cafe and tea shop. He enjoyed the freedom of being able to study what he chose. He enjoyed the quiet. _

_What he didn't enjoy was the lonliness. Iroh was a busy and surprisingly influential man and he was often away on trips. Iroh was to be gone for Zuko's entire march break, in fact all of Zuko's friends were away._

_He walked slowly and sullenly down one of the paths between the buildings of his school when he sudenly found his arms in the clutches of a bubbly, pink girl. He stumbled forward a bit, his shoulders knocking against her giant back pack, "Hey!" he said in frustration._

_"Hey Zuko!" said Ty lee, "I packed you the red blanket because I thought you would like it best."_

_Zuko froze in utter confusion, "What?" he said, frustration still in his tone._

_"Well you can't go camping without a blanket," she said matter- of factly before she continued on her way._

_"But I thought you were going with Mai and Azula to Paris for the break?" said Zuko quietly and bitterly, "last year of high school and all that."_

_Ty lee frowned, "that would have made me lonely…" she said, "besides, I don't want to go to Paris."_

_"Where do you want to go then?" he asked, completely in anticipation of what the answer might be. _

_"I don't know," she said, "I just really want to go!"_

_In spite of himself, Zuko couldn't help but to smile. It seemed he wouldn't be alone for the march break after all…_


End file.
